Police: Boy, 11, threatens to take gun to school

Jan. 10, 2013: A middle school student is in custody after a classmate tells police that he threatened to bring a gun to the campus. Mary Benton reports.

PEARLAND, Texas -

An 11-year-old has been accused of making a threat against his school.

Pearland police said a student reported that he overheard a fifth-grade classmate say that he had a "bad day" at Rogers Middle School, 3121 Manvel, on Wednesday and that he planned to bring a gun to school on Thursday.

Officers said they talked to other witnesses to confirm the threat being made.

The Brazoria County District Attorney's Office filed a terroristic threat charge against the 11-year-old.

The 11-year-old was not allowed to go to the school on Thursday and police took him into custody about 1 p.m. He was taken to the Brazoria County Juvenile Detention Facility.

Anytime that a student feels pushed to the level where they feel the need to bring a gun to the school, that's a point of concern," Lt. Onesimo Lopez said. "Not just for the other students who could possibly be victims of this, but also because of whatever situation existed to maybe where this child felt that he had to do that."

Pearland Independent School District officials said there was an increased police presence at the school on Thursday.

"Our top priority is maintaining a safe and secure educational environment for our students, and we immediately investigate rumors connected to their safety. We encourage students to talk to a trusted adult if they hear or see anything out of the ordinary or suspicious," a statement from the school district read.

School district officials said the 11-year-old will not be allowed to return to campus. The school planned to send letters home to parents to let them know about the situation.

Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.